Star Knight
by thezootopianadict
Summary: Somewhere beyond the planet earth in a time where the plains of the past were left for the varying terrains of planets far and wide a single Fox of red finds himself plunged head first in an adventure of a lifetime, an adventure so great that it just might change his life.
1. Chapter 1 A New Threat

Planet Arcellion  
Headquarters of the ZGA (Zootopain Galactic Alliance)

Had anyone in the room forgotten why they were there, a short glance at the director would be enough to remind them. Days ago they had seen the great Buffalo speak with a tone that flowed as as only a mammal with complete confidence in himself could manage. Now however, his words were weak, every now and again interrupted by some great cough. This new image of the director gave all the officers a sense of their purpose, a sense that made them sit in silence as the weakened mammal coughed in a manor that was most certainly painful.

Then after a period that for many seemed to have been eternity and a day Bogo finished and looked to the mammals facing him.

Looking at him it was clear he had seen much as of late. On his face for example a slash, still pink in color, crossed his face broken by a patch over where an eye should have been. On the right side of his great skull one horn stood cut almost flush with his flesh. Around his left hoof a cast of white held an apparently fractured wrist. All these injuries had been by one, one who had done damage not only to the Buffalo but to the amry that supported him. It was this, this thing that was the reason for the meeting, this thing that had somehow taken the mighty titanic figure of Bogo's pride and had reduced it to merely a pile of dust to be scattered by the wind. It was this thing that they had to defeat for fear of it destroying more then an army and more then a city. It was this need that brought this meeting of minds together to come up with something, _anything_ , to if not stop it to at least slow it down.

"Sir,", Bogo turned to face the Rhino that had spoken, "might I suggest we get _him_."

"Him?", Bogo stopped to cough violently into his arm.

When he had finished the Rhino spoke in a form most gruff and serious, one that only a mammal who walked the path of life with death as his ally could muster, "A week ago the bounty hunter Nicholas Wilde was arrested and thrown in jail. Now, seeing that he is one of them," at the word 'them' the room became filled with the murmurings of all those under the same roof as he. Every officer in the room other then himself knew not what he meant and some, desperate to know, even shouted their questions in hope of an answer. "Quiet!", every mammal recoiled in fear of the Rhino's shout, "As I was saying, _them_ , the AMW." AMW, now that was a word. Never before had there been anyone quite like them, there stood none who could match even the least among them in combat. Again the room filled with voices and again the Rhino had to call for silence, "Now, we can't influence the AMW, they serve none. Nick, Nick is a bounty hunter and a Fox, if we were to promise... monetary compensation, I'm sure a deal could be arranged."

Has this been any other situation Bogo would have yelled at the Rhino for suggesting an idea as bold as the one he had just heard. But today they faced a danger greater then they had ever faced, possibly greater then the universe itself had ever seen. Here they stood with a threat so great that made even the release of Nick an idea worth considering. Still, a backup plan would be helpful so Bogo asked for another, there was none.

Sighing Bogo pointed to a Tiger of white near the front of the room, "Ms. Nightengale, report to shuttle dock fourteen, I want that Fox helping whether he likes it or not." After saying this Bogo left the stand and walked to the door quietly mumbling to himself, "If that Fox won't help...", he turned to the crowd of officers behind him, all of them, every single one of them he knew.

For a second he stood there staring as his mammals rose. Slowly his gaze fell onto a wolf rising in the back, a wolf he had long known as an ally and as a friend. This wolf had been married for all of a year and had just seen the birth of his new pup, all of a month with daughter and wife, a month that may very well be the final chapter of his life. Bogo, usually a mammal of emotion so hard to see sighed in grief, "There will be a lot of orphaned kits tonight."

000

Prison Planet Morium

Cell block 1928

Six days, six days saw Nick in his cell, a time twice as long as his last visit to Morium almost two years before. Over that time little had changed, the cell he was in was much like the one he had once had having a door like that of a vault, walls devoid of windows and bars,, and a lone, dim bulb. It was in this that Nick was to spend his time in jail, it was in this that Nick would suffer for the crimes he had done, that is, if he wanted to. Everything about the cell was as it was before, still everything was scaled for mammals far larger then he, still the vent beneath his bed proved easy to bend and easy to slip into, still the camera that watched him could be shut down and could be worked to display a picture of him in some position apart from the wall. Still, even when he could easily have escaped he tried not. Why would he not wish to leave a cell as dreary as this? One would only have to listen to his murmurings.

"Not that you'd know that...", this is what troubled him, the words she said before she left, the last words he was likely to hear, words of truth that he had little chance to correct.

If the tale were to be explained form start to end this would have to be a work great and long, a length that would prove daunting to write and tiresome to read. But as we find ourselves in need of something, I will tell the end, the part in which her words were spoken.

Nick had docked onto the ship of his latest employer, a large, gruff, intimidating polar bear by the name of Kozlov. Just before he had left her, or tried to anyway, in the hands of a great wolf often known as the Dealer. While he had been there she was disarmed and led bound to await a fate most horrid. Her weapons and gear he took in his bag, it proved not hard as she was a bunny half as large as he. But then she escaped, somehow she broke free from the wolf that held her, somehow he not only broke free but had beaten him and nine others down with her paws still bound behind her. Nick had tried to restrain her but anything he threw at her she dodged with ease until he had no option other then to run. He was fast but she soon proved faster, not only could she simply run longer and harder then he but nay turn he made she could match with a quick jump against the wall. Desperate Nick had taken to locking door behind him, a tactic that only added seconds to his time. Fortunately this proved to be enough, reaching his ship he turned to lock the door to see her just feet away from him, grinning he shut the door and set the ship on its way, in his mind he could imagine her looking through a porthole in anger, in truth, she looked with something more.

Not to lang after that he reached Kozlov's ship orbiting the gas giant Quarto, there he sold her weapons and gear to the great, intimidating bear and readied to leave. But then she came, somehow she managed to track him, somehow she had found a way to reach him without his ship. However she had done it it didn't matter, she was there and that was all he needed to know. At first no one else took much notice of her, she was a Bunny, unarmed, surrounded by bears many times her size and who possessed a whole manor of weapons, surely what could she do? As it turned out, a lot. First she took down the guards beside her, then in the few short seconds of shock she ran to Kozlov and grabbed her gear. Then she jumped off his face, knocking him out in the process, to a platform above where she dropped her thrusters and put back on her belt. Now armed she lept from the platform and with a combination of stun blasts from her blasters and quick kicks with her feet, knocked the remaining guards out.

Now here is where Nick's focus is centered. Here she was left with none but he, here he had risen his blaster only to be reminded of her's second function, here his weapons barrel was melted through with a well aimed blast, here he dropped its useless husk to remove a second he held. But this second did not see action, instead it was blasted and lay broken on the ground. Then Nick looked at her with terror, surely she would want some form of vengeance for what he had done. In an action that seemed slowed only to further scare him she put her weapons away to hang by her side. Then much to his surprise she turned and left with her fists noticeably clenched. Then Nick asked why she did not attack him, a question she answered with a tone most annoyed and tense.

"I'm a part of the SMW and I am not to kill, not that you'd know that.", then she left locking the great door behind her. A short while later Bogo' forces had him surrounded and had him arrested. By the next day he was sitting in prison to think over what she had said. It was this thought that drove a weakened part of him, a part that through al the years of his work had bled for everything he had done and had called him to stop. Up until now this part had been small, drowned out by the part that sought only profit. but now it was powered by the thought of her, the thought of her mercy and how she cared for even the likes of him, the likes that had sent her to a fate indescribable in its level of suffering, a fate she was lucky to escape.

It was in this that Stripengale entered, it was in this strange point where both sides spoke with equal strength. What she asked could potentialy satisfy both parts though it would have to be one or the other. But which one? On one paw this small part had become the most vocal and had bothered him greatly, on the other the larger part had served him well by making him the hunter he now was though it had become almost silent as of late. Still, Nick was one who planned ahead, if the smaller died down as it had when he was a kit then he'd better satisfy the larger, if the smaller stayed as vocal then he could not afford the wrong of payment.

When he had finally made his mind he rose his snout to look the Tiger in the eye, "I'll help. As for the payment,", he sighed, "I'll need to think about that."

Stripengale looked at the Fox with surprise, "I-is there anything you need?"

"Well, I need my weapons fixed and I _would_ like my ship back."

"That we can arrange."

"Good, when am I going?"

"Now."

Nick sighed, had he known what it was he was to face he might not ever have left. But for now at least he was ignorant, ignorant of what it was he rose to face. Watching him rise as one who knows all I could only think of the sorrow and pain he'd come to feel when this ignorance gave way to knowledge, then again I felt elation at the thought of what was to come.

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 **OK, that was ch.1 of this brand new story, hope you like it. Sorry if it was a little hard to follow, I'll work on that. If you enjoyed it please give me a review as well as a planet or moon name(s) with a short description of their climate and terrain, I'm bad at naming things so I would really appreciate it if you were to give em a planet or moon to use**


	2. Chapter 2 The Two Great Legands

Somewhere in Deep Space

It had been a year since Judy had last seen her home, a year since she had last heard the voice of her friends and family. In the course of that year she had done a great many things, much of them bordering the line between possible and not. Over the course of that year she had seen a great many things, very few of them being pleasant. In the course of that year she had fought or else skirmished with just about every famed gangster and had come out on top. Over the course of that year she had learned a great many places her team had reason to investigate and many more things to fight. But now, finally, she was going home if only for a fleeting moment before her team moved out. Soon they would continue the legacy of the SMW and fight for justice no matter how powerful a force they would have to face to get it.

But before that she would have to once again brave the dangers of the Great Com wall, a barrier that while largely imaginary was a very real threat. Built out of a small fleet poised to strike and destroy any ship that dared leave or enter the territory of the SMW while jamming any call for help that they feared would prompt them to action and potentially go the way of their ancestors who proved near catastrophic for the empire that preceded the existence of the ZGA. Such a fear was well deserved even though the SMW had seen little action for sometime. Despite their inability to leave and the ZGA's cloak over them they were still fiercely determined and, as a number of encounters decades before had proved, were still a force to be reckoned with.

Now exiting that great fold in the universe that let her travel light years in little time she readied for the fight to come, in minutes she would find herself swamped with foes clinging to a code that did not let her shoot to kill, in minutes she would find herself facing ships filled with mammals that bore no such code.

000

Planet Octurius

The door to a great office slid open to revel a wolf decked in the uniform of an officer, an officer well liked by the likes of Bogo.

Seeing the officer through the corner of his eye Bogo turned to face him, "What is it?" Had there been someone in the base who had known Bogo yet had not known of the attack they would have been shocked by the softness of the mammal's voice. While before it was large, deep, and intimidating, now it was weak and soft as if he feared that any harshness in his tone would bring another end like the one before.

"The Fox is here sir."

Bogo settled further into his seat letting out a long deep sigh aimed at the hopelessness he now felt and the lack of control he had. While before his power was opposed only by those whose thoughts were never pleasant nor whole he now found himself attacked by all including his men. This, coupled with the "gifts" the threat had left him put him in a seemingly never ending mood of grief and worry, this left him with little choice other than pulling in the Fox. When the Fox entered he would be in control of the negotiations, whatever price he asked for was the price that would have to be given to him. But until the Fox entered Bogo would still hold some semblance of control, control that his words called an end to.

The wolf nodded before leaving the room leaving Bogo alone to enjoy the last few moments of his reign until the Fox appeared. For a few moments his reign lived in peace, then his usurper entered the room and approached his desk. Honoring his ruler Bogo gave a very weak, very fake smile, and extended his paw, now it was time for the Fox to rule.

000

The Great Com Wall, Two hundred and Thirty Thousand Miles From the Orbit of Mintura's Furthest Moon

Imagine being within a great cone of air, a cone that spun so rapidly that cars and buildings found themselves lifted into the sky to then be flung towards you like the sand a young kit might throw in numbers far beyond anyone's ability to count. If this is what you now imagine then you have a sense of what Judy felt with as she stared down the great fighter swarm before her. These fighters, all of the among the latest and most advanced of the ZGA were armed to kill, all of them were unlike her in that they were willing to destroy their prey. But as any predator knows, there exists no prey who will lay themselves out before the one who seeks to consume them, no mater how small there is always something they possess to give themselves a unique edge to their sword. In Judy's case her defenses were many and could often cause her to trade places making her the pred and the enemy the prey. But for now with a destination in mind and without want to fight, she turned to the one defense that so many prey possess, she turned to the defense of speed.

Without air to slow it down her speed seemed to be without limits, the only thing holding her back being the power of the engines and the amount of fuel she still held. Within moments she was moving twice as fast as the swarm and moving opposite the course it held, now instead of bearing her down they could only watch in shock as her ship shot over theirs leaving all but one without hope of pursuit. This ship, a vessel best described as a ring of engines around a black, needle shaped body and with a pair of small blasters protruding from its nose. This ship was one built for speed, speed that it gained fast and never lost, speed so great despite its pilot's skill it often seemed doomed to barrel into some ship and blow its prototype frame into oblivion.

Breaking formation the pilot slammed his throttle forward sending a great plum of blue streaking from the ring and throwing him forward like a Cheetah on the hunt. As it got closer the Vindicator pulled a quick turn to the side in an attempt to peacefully avoid a fight. but this was not to be as the pilot's fingers tightened around the trigger sending bolts of red towards the small craft before him.

In her ship Judy saw the bolts draw a quick line between the two ships and saw them strike her wing. Fortunately the bolts were weak, far to weak to breach the shield of her ship, and left only a light on her panel as a sign that they had hit. _This ship's just like Sam_ , she thought, _Both are fast but surprisingly weak._ For those who knew not Samantha (her full name though it was seldom used) was a Skunk who despite being born with great speed and endurance was surprisingly frail in build. Despite her lack of strength she was determined, persistent, and courageous, so much so that even though she could not knock an opponent out she could leave them on their knees begging her to cease. had it been Sam fighting in such a ship she would've continued her assault despite her ship's obvious lack of arms, but this pilot was not her, immediately realizing the futility of his attack he broke from her and continued the opposite way.

Now there was little threat of the small, quick craft, now she would have to face the threat of the larger, slower, and more powerful gunships. These craft built without wings and seemingly designed as a trio of cannons surrounded by two great launchers left no doubt as to what they were for. As one they let loose their load making themselves like a cloud dropping rain on those bellow, or in this case before. Within that storm she spun her ship around avoiding the aim of the cannons and letting loose a storm of her own to counter the great rain. With her great aim a number of the enemy found themselves unable to fire after a great burst of blue struck them and sent through their systems a shocking jolt leaving everything system critical to direction and fighting shorted out and its three operators running in a state of panic. now with an area for her to run through Judy turned her ship to its side and slipped by the opening.

With all of the quick ships behind her there was only the escorts and capitols to pass. While these ships were great in size and in the power of their arms they were slow and had miles of space between them. Without the ability to move closer it proved simple for her to pass them without trouble. Now she was within the territory of the SMW and the fleet was unwilling to enter for fear of the SMW acting against them. Now there was nothing separating her from her home, now she was in for a short uneventful flight to the moon of Shiporum.

000

Bogo's Office

The phrase "keep an eye one him" would prove relevant to what one would have seen in Bogo's office. While the great mammal had expected the fox to immediately demand a price most extraordinary the red canine had sat down without a word, while he had described the vents of the preceding weeks the Fox had kept silence about him. Now wary for fear of a bigger plan being in the Fox's mind he bent forward negating the distance between them for desire to Bogo bent his head to look the fox in the eye, "...That being said,", what had been said was the dire situation he and the ZGA had found themselves in, " if you want to back out we will be more then happy to work without your help."

Nick grinned, he knew that without him hey had no hope, without him the galaxy had nothing but chaos and destruction in its near future. Still the time for sarcasm and the chance to poke fun at his long time foe had arrived. "That you can,", his tone was of the kind that can take the place of quotations, "I have no doubt."

The Buffalo's eye narrowed, "Is that sarcasm Wilde?"

Nick shrugged, "Make of it what you will."

Bogo let loose a noise that while having the elements of a sigh bore the tone of a groan, "Alright, what price do you have?"

Nick's muzzle shot open to state a price most grand but then found that small piece clamp it shut. For several second the internal battle that had waged within the walls of his cell flared up once again. Then, as he had before, he offered a compromise to both, "I'll tell you when I'm done."

Bogo's head jolted back in surprise, "You realize we won't be as desperate when you're done right?", the Fox nodded, "Then why...?"

Nick sighed before answering, "Right now, I feel conflicted. I'm hoping that I'll feel better when I'm done so I'm going to ask you to give me time."

Bogo shook his head in astonishment. "Well fine then,", he lowered himself into his chair, "your stuff is in hanger number 34 and you'll be leaving in an hour, don't be late."

Nick slid off his seat and started towards the door, "Don't worry, I won't."

000

Planet Mintura, Moon Shiporium

If ever there was one name that told you everything you needed to know about a planet sized mass it was the name Shiporium. Covered in ash like dust, without mountains, and largely devoid of green it was a place where next to nothing could be supported for any amount of time. But then again, with little rain and huge, empty expanses Shiporium was perfect for one of the great life lines of the SMW to rest without fear of capture or attack. Here where the few patches of green where surrounded by walls and platforms formed through the cement of the ash like ground the great ships that would carry all the teams could rest within reach of their passengers yet out of reach to those that wished them harm.

While one of the more recognizable moons of Mintura Shiporium was not alone. Many thousands of miles apart from it Aphilion, home of the Knights of Mintura (the term used by those who the galaxy labeled as the SMW) Aphilion was a moon made to be the opposite of Shiporium. Lush with an unusual form of grass, greeted at the beginning of every orbit by a great storm of rain, as well as being neutral in terms of heat and cold, Aphilion had proved to be an almost perfect place for the team of rebels that fled there many centuries before. Then they had been without a home, then all they could eat was the hardy grass and flowers that grew on that moon, then they lived in constant fear of attack while they were unsettled. Had you looked at either moon at that time you would not have guessed that within a year those rebels would find themselves redefined, you would not have guessed that some day such heroes as them would ever come to exist. While we will not dive into what made them so we must know one thing, what it was had left them the code by which they lived by, what it was had made such teams as the one Judy had so recently formed to exist. Had it not been for that one event the ship in which Judy flew would have never been designed, in fact Judy herself would doubtlessly have been lost, or else would have found herself in the chains the Knights had originally formed to cut.

But that was not the case, now the Knights were feared though the ZGA had lost the original reason why, now ideas and speech that had been told of them long ago had given them a new permanent image as murderous thieves, something that was the exact opposite of what they actually were. Now their ships were no longer stolen property of a great empire but where now the creations of their own minds, creations that far surpassed anything any other force could offer. Among those ships the Ghost series, the type that Judy currently flew, was among the best of those designs. This ship, protected by a deceivingly capable shield, enabled its pilot to fly straight through the atmosphere in a fiery re-entry without fear of her ship burning through. This capacity let her hit the lower level of air within minutes of flight, something very few ships of the fighter class could do.

While she could easily have continued until she was within a hundred feet of the ground she pulled her ship to level at one thousand. Off her right wing tip another craft with a body same as hers but with the livery of a Ghost running along its length, this was the original Ghost, or at least the sixth prototype of the Ghost craft. Piloting it was the job of it creator Livor the Lynx. For a few seconds the two craft flew with "L" behind and slightly above, a following position, one that despite being among the Knights' best pilots was one he often took. Uncompetitive, he did not care whether he flew as leader or as support, if someone assigned one to him he'd take it, otherwise he'd take the rear, a position he could hold well.

From within her cockpit Judy heard her headset ring with the voices of her grounded friends, built more as a shield than a jammer the wall could do little to stifle the links the Knights held within their turf.

From the view on her screen Judy could see their location and quickly turned to reach it. After a short period of flight a small patch of green surrounded in great walls, pads, and towers stood raised above the sand. On each platform a ship of unique design and livery stood waiting for their next missions. On most of these ships great vibrant colors and patterns crossed their sides and gave each of them an unmistakable tint, but on one there seemed to be nothing, instead its sides where decidedly bare with clean shiny metal sides. This ship was Phantom, a design so unique that there existed nothing quite like it. Soon Judy would land and enter this vessel which for weeks or months would serve as her home, soon she was to join the four mammals visible beneath it and the others already within.

From her view point a great distance above she could not see who it was beneath the vessel but it she had a good idea who they were. Sam Skunk, her sister through adoption, Jack and Skye, Rabbit and Arctic Fox respectably, engaged when she had left, and Honey the Badger, the designer of the great vessel she stood beneath. All four with the exception of Honey and the inclusion of "L" were to be part of the Alpha attack force, one of three in the team and the best of the whole group. Honey would be of the Phantom force, she would be one of the eight who would manage the mighty Phantom and preserve its unique capability. there was but one small problem, when she had left Judy had expected to find a friend they had planned to be among them but had found that he was no more. Now they lacked one for the team, if they were to continue long term they needed another.

For the moment the issue was to be pushed aside for at that moment a great threat posed a danger to the universe and if they were going to stop it they would have to launch at once. _Who knows_ , she thought, _we might even find one while we're away._

000

Inside the hanger Nick found his ship the Endevour, a small, sleak, arrow shapped ship of the darkest grey with years of use portrayed by the dark marks all over. Despite being half as long and many times the lesser in weight, Endevour was a ship without equal in terms of speed and climb and in the hands of the informed, was a capable fighter. One feature of Endevour that stood out to most was the two seats it contained, while Nick never flew with anyone in the back seat Endevour had once been owned by someone who had. This mammal (more correctly mammals) had been very dear and after lossing them Endevour had turned into the only reminder of them and had to one who knew its history, served as a reminder of why he was no longer with the SMW.

Set on this seat, apparently from need of any other place to set them, sat his two weapons, their freshly repaired segments now shining with the stainlessness of a brand new part, perhaps something like that small piece that he had discovered in prison. Maybe this part felt a connection to those weapons, perhaps it felt that like them it was small but it shone and had brought the whole back into usefulness. Perhaps the other part felt that like how these repairs would soon fade in their brilliance and were to become like the rest, so too would this other part. Regardless of whether either part had made for itself such analogies as these, only time would prove either to be right.

But at that moment there was but a long wait ahead as their carrier waited for the order to arrive. For a long while there was nothing, then just as Nick's lids were about to abondon all resistance against sleep it came. It was load and harsh, quick and mechanical but it was the call he had been waiting for and it was the call that sent his throttle flying forward.

Being of nimble design his ship blasted through the doors of the hanger, pulling the stick back Nick forced its great nose to point straight into the sky. Within minutes the base was far behind him, a little longer and air was but a memory in the back of his mind. Now free from the resistance of air his engines gave it their all and flung him free from Octurius' gravity. Now drifting in space propelled by the great momentium he had gained Nick let his ship move on its own accord as he entered the coordinates to the planet on which this threat had been last seen.

From the communicator the voices of a great many ships cackled the procedures in which they had to follow. After several minutes of listening to the constant checks of the fleet that was to escort him to the the apparent home of the threat he was finaly given clearence to go. His paw having been hovering over the button up until that point Nick slammed down on it. In an instant all shapes around him faded into a sea of brilliant violet and evey tone that had once been in his ears left leaving him in silence. Soon he would be in orbit around the threat, soon he would come to face it.

000

As Nick was leaving Octurius behind a very different team was leaving a planet of their own behind. This team, hidden within the mighty Phantom which like the spirits it had been named after could fade into apparent none exisitance, passed without hassle through the very deffense one of their members had taken so long and had undergone such trail to pass not too long before. For now this team was unkown by the ZGA but that was soon to change. Within the space of a few days the name Star Knight would be well known among the ranks of the ZGA, whether the name would bring relef or terror, whether it brought hope or dispare, what they ment for the ZGA's hired paw, those were questions that would have to be left for later events to answer.

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 **OK, ch.2 is** _ **finally**_ **done! Now Judy is finally in the story and Star Knight is on its first deployment! Please post a review and tell me what you think of the story so far and please don't feel ashamed if what you have to say contains critisim as whatever faults you point out are opertunities for me to improve.**

 **Please, I am terrible at making up planets and moons so please put some ideas, please include tahe terrain, general climate, whether or not it's populated and if so how its residents cope with whatever it is they have to survive. Please never feel as if you have too much info as any details you have will be extremely helpful in the story and feel free to put the idea in the review option or as a privte message. While I'm not calling for anything in particular I do have 19 moons to make and name so please maybe help me there. Then again it's all up to you.**

 **If you have any ideas or input whatsoever please let me know about it, I'd love to know if you have a ship design, character idea, plot idea, idea for something I should look at for inseperation, weapons, gear, traditions, ect...**

 **OK, I think that covers just about everything, see ya later in chapter 3.**


	3. Chapter 3 Two Great Armies, One Defeat

For many minutes Nick had been alone in space. While he had started with the ZGA and its great fleet Endeavor's speed, coupled with its pilot's want for a plan had let him reach the object of their assault far before any of their forces could ever dream of seeing the system. While he had want to see the defense he had not desire to prompt response and had let his ship drift among the vast heaps of floating junk that surrounded both he and the enemy. This junk, an immense collection of vessels great and small that drifted with great hols and parts having been torn in their side or else with a great shard of metal lodged in their great metal skins gave voice through the enormity of their numbers towards the scale of that which had last come to face them. But while the evidence of such great vessels floated freely before, above, and around, the fleet beyond that had done the deed was nothing if not unassuming.

From where he was he could see that these vessels were painted black with red florals covering their block like frame. While on most craft of such scale one would have expected a great many turrets and cannon ready and trained to fire off at anything near, these ships possessed only one weapon; a great barrel fixed to the nose. Whatever this barrel was built to fire it most certainly had to be something of great power, something that would have been built to destroy a ship of any class with lightning speed. While this weapon was sure to be impressive the fact that only one ship had been built with a living pilot in mind was something else entirely. The one ship that had been built for a pilot was not much different from the rest, the main difference being that the spot were a camera filled bulge was usually placed there had been built a small fighter ready to launch. Like many things about this fleet this lone fighter struck something within. Had this been a force built for conquest one would have guessed a great many smaller craft to engage the forces of another on the ground and air, this force had been built solely to defend.

As he looked back at the debris before him Nick saw a ship of design most common yet could not possibly have ever seen a fight. This vessel, a transport of notably rounded shape had found itself with a great chunk of that which had been blasted lodged into its side. Grabbing his throttle a careful nudge Nick slid his craft directly before the tear in the great vessel. With a quick look within he saw the shining signs of a whole manor of metals and elements of tremendous value. Looking further along a small body of silver, a drone that once may have served as a pilot or gunner for this dilapidated craft, a sign that what had been done had been done in considerable scale.

Nick hadn't looked long before his gaze returned to the fleet beyond the wreaks though what he saw made a part of him shudder. From the nose of each ship came a great rounded sphere of blue, a barrier that while transparent was sure to mean more than a show of light. For a second Nick stared transfixed at this sight, a sight that while odd reminded him of something, something from when he was young.

Whatever it was that he the color struck he had not the time to recall the past as only seconds after each enemy craft surrounded itself in light, the great fleet of the ZGA arrived. Like many things of this fleet the fact that they knew exactly the time when the enemy would strike gave Nick a sense of dread. Never had there been a way to sense a fleet falling from the fold, neither had there been a way to track one through. Without the use of a few myths and legends, the only way such prediction could have been made was by the use of a spy within the offices of the ZGA, a spy that had clearance to know of the attack kept secret for hope of surprise.

For a moment Nick watched in silence waiting to see just what it was the enemy would do. To his surprise the enemy did not immediately attack or even try to move, not even as the ZGA let loose a tempest of steel and fire did a single one of their numbers shift or move from their position. For a second the outcome seemed uncertain but as the fire struck it was clear that no matter what was done, not a single ship of the enemy would be harmed, not that such a fact would halt the desperate attempts of those whose lives depended on the enemy's defeat would cease their struggles. But like all things such fire could not be sustained, at some point the weapon's barrels froze with heat, the missiles found themselves spent and without one to follow. As soon as the fire had left them clear of attack a number of enemy craft let their barriers fall and let loose from their single cannon a blast of red. Wherever this red blast struck, be it bridge, side, or armor its target shook and tore into pieces great and small, pieces often so large that often they struck and tore through that which was near.

At first he had no idea what his plan was, all he had as the call to blast towards the fleet and try to stop further chaos. Even when he had reached the fleet and had started circling their craft strategy had failed to find presence in his mind. But while his initial thoughts were without reason he was still a Fox that made his actions with a touch of caution, though that caution was now far less than it had been mere moments before. In addition to his lessened caution, there was little reason for him to fear attack as the fleet he fought was without defense aimed at fighters like he. Thanks to the lack of fear and caution a weakness was soon found, a weakness that while lasting but a second was all he had.

Before he could try his luck on the weakness a second ship, a ship of design he had seen but once in all his life entered his view and came hurtling head first towards a vessel ready to fire. As was expected the shield of the vessel fell just before the blast flew, as was was expected it was quick to raise again. But before it had fully raised her ship was within that glowing barrier's walls twisting and firing great plumes of engine blast in a desperate attempt to slow herself before her craft struck the barrier's wall. While her speed was considerable most was lost, that which she didn't was taken by her ship's frame without much fuss. While the impact sustained was certainly extreme she was quick to recover and had her bolts aimed on her enemy's tail. Almost immediately the ship lost all signs of life, its shield quickly fading, the light of the engines dying, the force of its weapon now lost.

As her target fell away without power a second not far away fell as well. In the middle of watching her attack Nick saw a target of his own and shot it up before spinning and slowing to fall in line with her craft. While the distance between them was short neither could see the face of the other through their tinted panels. But while they could not see each others face they both knew who it was beside them, both craft being of color and shape most unique.

Sitting in his own craft without sight of her face Nick could only imagine the look of frustration his presence had brought. But while she was most certainly frustrated by his appearance and understandably suspicious of his intentions she had not enough reason to fight while reason enough against it she let him fly. For now he seemed an ally and if he proved to be something else her ship seemed more than a match for his own if they were to fight. Besides, a quick look to the screen around him was more than enough to discourage any attempt at revenge. Throughout the fleet behind him there was a number of craft much like hers though each was colored in their own unique way. Two of these craft, one with a single stripe of white running along its length and another with an otherworldly depiction came and flew of each of their wings.

As soon as her new wingmammal was with her Judy blasted back to the fleet to fight with fury leaving Nick and "L" to fly alone. While it had been some time since a fighter had joined him on the hunt Nick was quick to accept its aid. "Well buddy,", his voice was meant for the aiding pilot but as the frequency and code he needed was beyond reach he left his words sit with only him as their witness, "looks like I'm a Knight again." With his words said Nick led his ship back to the fleet and resumed his attack.

000

 **OK, ch.3 is** **done! Now we have Nick and Judy's first, I mean second meet! Please post a review and tell me what you think of the story so far and please don't feel ashamed if what you have to say contains criticism as whatever faults you point out are opportunities for me to improve.**

 **Please, I am terrible at making up planets and moons so please put some ideas, please include the terrain, general climate, whether or not it's populated and if so how its residents cope with whatever it is they have to survive. Please never feel as if you have too much info as any details you have will be extremely helpful in the story and feel free to put the idea in the review option or as a private message. While I'm not calling for anything in particular I do have 19 moons to make and name so please maybe help me there. Then again it's all up to you.**

 **If you have any ideas or input whatsoever please let me know about it, I'd love to know if you have a ship design, character idea, plot idea, idea for something I should look at for inspiration, weapons, gear, traditions, ect...**

 **OK, I think that covers just about everything, see ya later in chapter 3.**


	4. Chapter 4 The Two Blocks

While the fleet had done much destruction and for so long had been an object of terror for the officers of the ZGA, as soon as their weakness was found and a force of Knights was entered into the fray there was only so much they could do for so long a time, no matter what they did they were certain to face defeat, defeat that could only be worsened by continuing their defense. With this fact quickly realized, the leader of that great enemy force ordered his craft to rise and leave the positions they had once fought so hard to keep and to return to whatever dark corner they had once risen from.

Following this force as it journeyed past the ZGA, a number of the Knights kept their weapons bared and ready to strike if the enemy dared try anything besides retreat. Of this number, five were excluded, those five having turned to attack the two targets the planet had to offer.

Joining those five; the only one who did not have the benefit of absolute trust and an unbreakable bond of friendship with the ranks, not that he wished for that to last. Having decided that the life of a Knight was one he wanted back, Nick felt that none of the usual challenges could threaten his new path. But before the journey down the path could truly begin he would have to follow the unspoken orders of the five, orders that called him to the surface bellow.

000

Fortunately for him, the journey to the planet's surface was one short and of little action, within minutes of having turned to fall he and his craft had found themselves buried beneath the canopy of the planet's forests.

While the dark shadows surrounding his craft seemed empty he knew that three others were not far away, three that while still unseen were sure to have their weapons armed and ready to fire at his craft.

With the thought of the three unseen, Nick kept his descent slow and steady, all the while keeping his ship from doing even the slightest turn. Without him having turned, it was near a wonder that all three legs of Endeavour found a branch to rest on, a feat that only seconds separated from his swift exit of his craft, his paws held high.

For a few seconds there was nothing, only the sound of the third mammal moving to land somewhere else. Suddenly, the faint hum of the two's shields of light pierced the gloom.

Had he been in combat, that hum would have been the audible warning of an unbreakable barrier ready to make any attempts at attack futile efforts. But as it was now, the hum was but a follow up to the light and served only to make the twos' position known. But while their main aim was to let him know where they stood, the light also served to make their weapons and faces a visible sight. Those weapons, a rifle of size massive for the Knights in the paws of a Buck with stripes, and a small, pistol sized blaster joined with a Vixen of white were the sight that greeted him, the sight that told him they were two who were not to be messed with.

As soon as they were sure the Fox knew where they were, the blue light of their shields faded away and their sight was again aided by vision natural or artificial. With his own sight now adjusted to the dark Nick could see the Vixen march forward to pat him down.

With her task complete, she returned to the side of the Buck and again brought her weapon to bear.

Once again there was silence between them, silence the Buck was the first to break, "You know why we're here?"

"Um, 'cause you want to say hi?"

While the Buck's eyes were hidden beneath a mask of cameras, the slow shake of his head told enough for their narrowed glare to be known, "No, we're short a member and as of now, you're the only candidate."

"Um, does that mean..."

"It means,", any friendliness that the Buck's voice had held was now all but lost, "that we're willing to let you go in with a pistol, provided you stay close and wear a tracking tag. That said, we only have to do it if you want, if you don't our friend over there will be more than willing to keep you in timeout and we'll be more than willing to move on without your help."

"Well...", for a good few seconds Nick let his mouth ramble in thought, "provided that Judy doesn't jump out of nowhere, I'd take that offer."

At the Fox's answer the twos' faces became contorted with frustration,soon after the Vixen produced a small band of black from a pocket in her belt.

Soon after accepting the band, Nick wrapped it around his wrist, a quick tap of the button preceding a small flash of red. With the tracker safely on, the two lowered their weapons to let him retrieve his own. As soon as he was ready the three set out to the small village they knew hidden nearby, their craft soon becoming hidden by the branches behind.

* * *

 **OK, that's chapter 4, sorry it's kinda short, I've been having writer's block and just about every attempt to write this ended up being deleted. That said, I hope you enjoyed reading this, feel free (and in fact encouraged) to give me hate if you didn't. Please, please, please tell me if there's something you're seeing that I can do better and please provide what you think would be a good fix.**

 **As usual, please share any ideas you have on where the story may go, any characters you'd like to see later on, any weapons you'd think would be awesome, any ship designs you might have, any planets you'd love to see the team exploring, and any art whatsoever, if it's something you want to see then I will do whatever I can to include it.**


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